Method and apparatus for fitting shoes



April' 7, 1925.

R. P. MORSE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FITTING SHOES Filed March 15, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1925.

R. P. MORSE' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FITTING SHOES Filed March 15, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

TATES rarer FFmE.

RAYMOND P. MORSE, OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MORSE & BURT 00., INC., 015' BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FITTING SHOES.

To czZZ 10710771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND P. Monsn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Scarsdale, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Methods and Apparatus for Fitting Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for fitting shoes and has for its object to enable shoes to be sold through mail orders and an accurate fit insured.

This object is carried out by havingthe customer make a form of his own foot, who will then send the form to the dealer from which the latter will determine the proper size and shape shoe andsend same to the customer. If the customer has originally made an accurate form of his foot, a satisfactory fit is assured, and an advantage of this invention is that it furnishes a simple and reliable method and apparatus whereby the customer has no ditliculty in making the necessary form without requiring Special materials, although as a matter of custom it is contemplated that manufacturers or dealers selling to customers at a distance will carry suitable supplies, consisting of stockings and gummed paper, for enabling the customers to conveniently make the neces sary forms. I

The invention is carried out by pasting on a stocking on the foot layers or wrappings of, preferably, gurnnied paper until the stocking is built up into self-sustaining form, closely simulating that of the foot, and this form is then removed from the foot ant sent to the dealer or manufacturer for determination ofthe suitable shoe. A feature of the invention resides in so constructing the stocking and the form as to enable it to open over the instep or over the instep and back of the leg to permit both to be removed from the foot after being formed,

and without destroying its shape as a whole.

It should be understood that in. order to properly determine a shoe to fit a foot at least two measurements are essential, one being the distance from the ball of the foot to the rear of the heel measured along the arch of the foot, and the second being the circumference or width of the foot at the ball. A third measurement from the ball to the tip of the toe is useful but not necessary. A form (or cast) made according to this invention enables all three measurements to be accurately ascertained. manufacturer will determine the shoe, either bymaking a casting from the form and then removing the form, or by cutting the form along certain lines and then measuring these dimensions from the inside of the form to thereby determine the size of shoe required.

The invention will be more fully understood in connection with the description of the accompanying drawings, Wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stocking prepared for carrying out this invention,

such as would be sent out by a dealer to a customer Figure 2' represents in perspective the form as made by the customer before re-- moving from the foot; V

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the inside showing a manner of attaching a stripping wire to the paper strip attached to both sides of the slit in the stocking;

Figure 4c is a sectional view showing the form before removal;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a cast; and

Figure 6 shows a preferred method of cutting the form into three pieces for ascertaining the controlling foot measurements. The invention is carried out by putting an elastic (preferably cotton) stocking on I the foot which substantially fits, this stocking constituting the lining or foundation on which the form is built up. The stocking is first prepared by slitting it longitudinally over the instep or vertically from the heel up, or over that part of the foot it is desired to form by a strip, preferably of adhesive paper, to which is attached a slitting cord or wire. This wire is placed inside under the paper strip, next the foot, and anchored at the lower or toe end to the stocking at the end of the slit in the stocking. This will ordinarily be sent out to the customer by the dealer after obtaining from the customer the customers ordinary stocking or shoe size. Directions can be sent so that the customer can prepare the stocking. Besides ClOSlIlg the slit by the paper strip, each side'of the slit is provided with a paper strip constituting a longitudinal reinforcement or base to which the gummed strips for building up the form are at both, and then closing this slit- The iiu

with strips of 'ummed V a oer tached. By this method the slit is only closed by a single strip, constituting a relatively weakened slitting line, which is readily slit by the wire before taking off the foot, while it the slit were not kept rela tively weak the slitting wire might pull out or otherwise damage the form. This is regarded as more convenient than making up the term on the foot by pasting the strips over the slit and then relying upon knives or scissors to cut or weaken same to permit rem-oval. Ar similar construction can be ap-- plied to the heel portion of the stocking should itv be oesired to take a form 01"- the foot andleg above the ankle.

After removing the form, the customer sends it to the dealer, who may mahe a cast of wax, plaster of Paris, or the like, from which to fit the shoe, or may cut the form into suitablepieces to get at the dimensions required, these dimensions to be taken by suitable means from the inside of the form.

1 represents the stocking having the slit 52 therein, covered by closing strip 3 of adhesive paper, preferably on the inside of the stocking, although itmay be on the outside, and carrying the slitting wire or cord 4 attached thereto by weaker strips 5, the lower end 6 of the wire 4 being anchored in the stocking. The strips 5 are made relatively weak, so as to readily separate when the form is removed. On the outside of the stocking parallel to the slit are pasted the parallel reinforce strips 7, which are free of each other lengthwise of the slit, as at 8, and separated from the wire a by the slit closing strip 3. I regard the stocking 1 provided with a slit, in association with the slit closing strip 3, and with or without the slitting'wire 4: and the reinforce strips 7, as a new article of manufacture, as same can be readily sent out to customers and by them made into the finished forms.

litter the customer puts on the stocking with the parts as shown in Figure 1, it only then remains for him to cover the stocking 9, as shown in Figure 2, using the reinforce strips 7 to hold the ends of the strips so as to leave the slit 8 more Or less unobstructed. Several layers of strips 9 will be applied in all directions so as to adequately stiffen the form to enable it to hold its shape. In supplying the stocking the dealer will also supply sutiicient gummed paper or fabric tape to build up the proper form.

After the form is returned to the dealer a cast, as 10 in Figure 5, can be pourec directly into the form and then the form stripped oil, the cast being used to measure up for the shoe, or the i orm ca-n be out, as

shown in Figure 6, transversely on the line ll and longitudinally on the line 12 to diide it into three pieces, the line 11. passing through the center of the ball oi the foot 7 and the line 12 generally following the median line of the foot, or more to the inside, to show the contour of the foot arch, and the shoescan be .more accurately fitted by ascertainin the length with an addition for arch curvature, and the width by the circumference at the ball, this method having been made the subject of a separate application heretofore filed. Either the cast or the form will be measured in this manner to ascertain the shoe size.

By the novel method and apparatus herein disclosed an accurate lit is insured at nominal cost, and various .IllOCllllijiltlOllS and changes can be made without departing from tne scope of the appended claims. So far as I am aware, it has not heretofore been proposed to fit shoes by a term made from the foot, which form can be easilyand simply made by the customer, and this invention will be useful not only in fitting shoes from the stocking, but will be useful for making shoes to order, auditor various other purposes.

What I claim is: r

1. A device formak-ing a foot lorm comprising a stifiiened stocking slit along a line to permit removal, said slit being closed by a slittable paper strip carrying a cord tor slitting said strip to permit removal from the foot without permanent deformation of the stiffened form.

2. A foot form comprising a stocking having a slit therein long enough to allow its removal when stiffened, adhesive strips extending along each side of the slit on the outside of the stocking, a plurality of adhesive strips secured to the first mentioned strips, covering substantiallyall portions-oi the foot of the stocking except saidslit, and stiffening the foot of the stocking but permitting its removal, and a slittable strip bridging and attached to the sides of said slit and adapted to hold them in, place while attaching the stitl'ening'strips.

8. A foot vform comprising a stocking having a slit therein long enough to allow' its removal w-l'ien stiffened, adhesive strips extending along each side of the slit on the.

outside of the stocking, a plurality of ad hesive strips secured to said first mentioned strips, covering substantially all portions of the foot of the stocking except said slit, and stiffening the foot of the stookingbut permitti-ng its'removal, aslittable strip bridging and attached to the sides of said slit and adapted to hold them in place while attaching the stitfening strips, a flexible slitting member anchored to the stocking adjacent an end of the slit, and means for holding the slitting member in position along said slit and covered by said slittable bridging strip while the adhesive stiffening strips are being applied thereto, a free end of the slitting member being exposed outside said stocking where it is adapt-ed to be grasped for pulling and slitting the bridging strip.

4 A foot form comprising a stocking havinga slit therein long enough to allow its removal when stiffened, adhesive strips extending along each side of the sliton the outside of the stocking, a plurality of adhesive strips secured to the first mentioned adhesive strips extending along each side of the slit, covering substantially all portions of the foot of said stocking except across said slit, and stiffening the foot of the stocking but permitting its removal, and a slittable strip bridging the slit and attached to the sides thereof inside the stocking for holding the sides of the slit in place while attaching the stiffening strips.

5. A foot form comprising a stocking having a plurality of slits therein long enough to allow removal when stiffened, ad-

hesive strips extending along each side of each slit on the outside of the stocking, aplurality of adhesive strips secured to the first mentioned adhesive strips extending along each side of each strip, covering substantially all portions of the foot of said stocking except across said slits and stifiening the foot of the stocking but permitting its removal, and a slittable strip bridging and attached to the sides of each slit for holding them in place while attaching the stififening strips, one of said slits being in the front portion of the stocking and another of said slits being in the rear of the stocking.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 5th day of March A. D. 1921.

RAYMOND P. MORSE. 

